27 Jun 2025
Tariffs, tariffs, tariffs…
Prior to 2025, few have heard of this word, let alone understood what they are or how they work. Fast forward to June 2025, this word has not just become commonplace in everyday conversation, but evokes much uncertainty, fear and confusion, even among believers.
When the US President Donald Trump imposed widespread tariffs on nations around the world in April 2025, it swiftly led to one of the worst falls in the history of the global stock market before certain announcements stabilised it. Nevertheless, there remains great uncertainty and fear of a global trade war, economic recession, and hardship.
This event has initiated a process that will bring forth many shifts in the global arena, in terms of how trade is done, the formation of alliances, as well as the changing of the global world order. Ultimately, this will lead to a reset of the global economy.
The accelerator pedal has been further depressed, and we are in a time of accelerated acceleration that will lead to greater darkness and intensities.
What is God saying in this time? What is He doing?
What is needed for the people of God?
Do we panic or rush to find ways to safeguard our finances like the world does?
Surely not!
Because our God is the Sovereign Almighty God who sits on the throne in heaven and is the Author of all human history. Nothing is out of His will. Nothing is beyond His control. As we approach the End of the Age where shakings increase, our confidence needs to be rooted and anchored in Him who is immovable and unshakeable.
What is Needed in Times of Uncertainty and Shaking
The things most needed in times of uncertainty are understanding and clarity. The people of God need to be able to hear with clarity the word of the Lord, what He is saying right now, and understand what is happening by the revelation of the Spirit, and then align with Him and obey what He tells us to do.
More and more, 1 Chronicles 12:32 has to be more than a nice cliché. It must be lived out in reality by God’s people. We have to understand the times and know what we ought to do.
We can take a page from how the tribe of Issachar is positioned in the wilderness in relation to the Tabernacle of Meeting and the other tribes. The twelve tribes of Israel were grouped into four groups of three surrounding the Tabernacle of Meeting facing the four cardinal directions. Issachar was grouped together with Judah and Zebulun in the East (Num. 2:3–9). When the Lord wanted Israel to move, this group was the first to do so. This highlighted the importance of having understanding and knowing what to do if we want to move in alignment with God. This is what is required of God’s people if we want to partner with the Lord in this coming hour of challenges and uncertainty.
So what on earth is happening? Why all the economic shakings and the tariffs? What is the Lord saying and doing?
A Historic Transitional Decade Leading to the Dawning of a New Era
There are passages in the Bible that are unfolding right before our eyes. It is important to understand, interpret and see clearly. One of these passages is Matthew 24.
“And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom… All these are the beginning of sorrows (birth pangs).”
– Matt. 24:6–8
The first thing that the Lord is saying is, “Do not panic.” He does not want us to be troubled or overreact, but to calmly and soberly gain understanding of what God is saying to us now. If we truly understand and align, we can and will have peace and confidence in Him.
We are not yet in the final seven years of human history. God, in His mercy, is using some of these shakings to awaken His people to know where we are in terms of the times and seasons.
Between November 2021 and September 2022, the Lord, through His rhema word, spoke clearly to us at the House of Prayer that the decade of the 2020s is a Historic Transitional Decade that requires the Preparation for the Times in order to be ready for the Dawning of a New Era (see Rhema Now #2: Where are we Heading?), which will occur in the 2030s. These three weighty words describing the times were given exactly three months before the occurrence of two significant world events, which the Lord told us in advance would serve as confirmation of His words.
The decade of the 2020s is called the Historic Transitional Decade because the world as we now know it will no longer exist as it is right now when the decade is over. There will be tumultuous transitions and shifts that will lead to the Dawning of a New Era in the 2030s. One of these major transitions is a global economic reset.
During the period following the announcement of the tariffs by President Trump, the phrase “new era” started being widely used by news media and journalists to refer to the shifts that were happening to the global economy, to the new alliances that were forming, etc., that would lead to the emergence of a new world order.
However, though the world is shifting and shaking, God is sovereign and is in control. He already has a pre-emptive plan for us! All we have to do is align with Him.
In Matthew 24, Jesus also warned us of wars and rumours of wars. The word “war” usually conjures up images of armies fighting against one another. However, the world finds itself on the brink of a different kind of war. What is unravelling before our eyes is a global trade war involving various nations. This will eventually lead to a global economic reset and the emergence of the Harlot Babylon, which is a global religious and economic network that will bring forth the emergence of a One World religion and One World Economy.
All these shakings in Matthew 24, also known as the “Beginning of Birth Pangs”, are part of the process leading us to the final seven years of the End of the Age.
However, Jesus is not asking us to focus on the events happening in Matthew 24:6–8. Rather, these events serve to alert us to the greater intensities that are coming after that — the increase in persecution, hatred and betrayal found in verses 9 to 14. The Bible also warns of the five-fold negative storms that will overwhelm the hearts of many, including believers — fear, confusion, offense, deception and lust (Matt. 24:4,10,11,24; Lk. 21:25,26,34). When our hearts are overwhelmed, it will be easy for us to compromise, make wrong decisions, fall away or become offended with God.
That is why the Lord is awakening us to gain understanding now so that we can prepare!
“Storm is Coming”
Another word that popped up frequently in the news in the aftermath of the tariff announcement was the word “storm”. Back in 2015, the Lord spoke to us clearly — “Storm is coming!”. Even though storms are coming, God’s exhortation to His people is that we can grow stronger, we can burn hotter, and we can shine brighter.
The passage associated with this word was Luke 21:34–36. The response the Lord requires of His people is to watch and pray. He has never exhorted us to buy land, store up food or water, etc. Not that we cannot do so, but the primary preparation required is to watch, to stay vigilant and acquire understanding, and to pray in accordance to His heart.
We need to take this opportunity to respond to the Lord and intentionally cultivate the lifestyle of watching and praying, so that our hearts will not be troubled or weighed down. In Luke 21:36, Jesus warns us to watch therefore and pray always so that we may have strength to stand when the eschatological storms come. When the darkness escalates, only those who are prepared can stand, burn, and shine.
God is Raising up the Global Corporate Daniel
In the midst of the escalating Isaiah 60 darkness, God is raising up His people who carry His light and glory.
He is raising up the Daniel 11:32–33 people — a people who know God and are strong. Out of the place of intimacy with God and strength in their inner man, they will arise to partner with the Lord in carrying out great exploits. They will be people of understanding who shine, bring forth light, wisdom, counsel and direction in the midst of the darkness and storms, and turn many to righteousness.
In December 2024, God instructed us to do a 21-day Daniel fast in 2025 during the period Daniel did his, from the 4th to 24th Nisan (Dan. 10:2,4). He also directed us to pray through the Book of Daniel and to focus on Daniel 10.
In the middle of the fast, the Lord revealed that He is using this fast to birth forth Daniels globally — we refer to these people as the Global Corporate Daniel. They are people of understanding with authority and wisdom that come from the place of intimacy with God.
The Lord showed us that He is going to bring many of these Daniels into a spiritual deep sleep (Dan. 10:9). In the Bible, whenever God brings someone into deep sleep, He is doing a work of birthing forth something significant in His kingdom in accordance with His purposes. Adam was brought into a deep sleep to birth forth Eve (Gen. 2:21–23). In like manner, Abraham was brought into a deep sleep to birth forth the prophetic destiny of Israel (Gen. 15:12–21).
In Daniel 10, Daniel was fasting for greater revelation and understanding. At the end of the 21 days, God birthed forth one of the greatest visions that revealed His plans pertaining to Israel at the End of the Age. In the same way, the Lord, in this season, is bringing many into a spiritual deep sleep to birth forth the Global Corporate Daniel, who are His people of wisdom and understanding, as well as His End-Time plans to prepare His people to be ready for the Dawning of a New Era.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Lord is using tumultuous global shifts and shakings to awaken His people to what this decade of 2020s is about, and where it will lead to, which is the New Era of escalated darkness and intensities. In His mercy, the Lord wants us to know and to prepare.
In fact, He already has a pre-emptive plan for His people. The birthing forth of the Global Corporate Daniel is part of this.
As His people, we must take heed, hear, understand and align. We must be intentional in living the lifestyle of watching and praying, and diligently prepare ourselves for the Times to come. As we do so, many will emerge to be part of His Global Corporate Daniel — people with wisdom and understanding who, in the coming era of great darkness, will shine forth with His light and glory!
